


Something Fast

by olo



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Pronouns, Dangerous Situation, Fear of Death, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Other, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 21:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4538796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olo/pseuds/olo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During a particularly dangerous jailbreak, Rocket decides to ask Groot something important. (Groot and Rocket get married while escaping from the Nova Corps)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Fast

**Author's Note:**

> So I love Groot being agender/genderless and I like to think she is cool with any pronouns people use for her but she/her pronouns are her favorite. Plus they just sound nice to me, so that's why I'm using them for her. Also it's not stated in the movie but apparently Groot is a monarch on her home planet and I thought that was cool so I put that in. Also the tense might be a little weird bc I honestly have a hard time keeping the tense consistent, especially since like suddenly changing tense mid-sentence just feels really natural. Uh, yeah that should be all! Hope you enjoy it!

Things had been bad before. 

There were plenty of close calls, plenty of just barely getting away, or only just not getting shot in the head. It's to be expected when you're a couple of outlaws with 14 prison breaks under your combined belts.

Things had been bad before. But things were really, REALLY bad this time.

Rocket and Groot weren't alone on their 15th escape. They'd gotten the help of 5 other criminals, mostly because they wouldn't trade with either of them and were actually pretty good at managing to not get pick-pocketed.

Sayvir, a drag racer with a habit of getting into fights, was currently flying the ship, much to Rocket's annoyance. The jerk insisted Rocket would screw up the console, (tho if it wasn't a shit console there's no way that could happen) so everyone else was essentially locked out of the bridge while xe flew them to safety. This wouldn't be nearly as bad if the ship didn't shake like it just got hit by a Nova laser every so often. Or if they could even see what was happening outside. Really, either would make things a lot less bad.

The actual break out had also gone not-so-good. Aza and Greda, a thievery power couple, had gotten hurt on the way to the ship. Because they had to slow down for them, the guards were able to get to their own ships before they escaped. Then, while Yamm (the only of the group with some kind of medical training) was treating their injuries, their hand slipped and they gave Aza a nasty cut. It took Aza, Greda, and Groot to calm Yamm down and get them to stop crying.

They’ll have to fly for at least 10 more minutes before they can use the warp drive (Sayvir said it would take that long for it to warm up) and everyone was getting antsy. This ship was supposed be heavily armored, hence no viewports in the main cabin. But this thing was old, and it looked like it was entirely possible that some of the armor had come off during the initial take off. Herec, a pastor convicted of killing some guys, had started praying when they started flying, tho Rocket wasn't sure who he was praying to.

Every few seconds the ship would rock, shake, or lurch, and no one was sure if it was because of Sayvir's flying, or because the ship was falling apart. 

Once Yamm had calmed down, everyone had settled into their own little sections of the cabin. Aza and Greda were nursing each other's wounds. Herec was off by himself, possibly still praying. Yamm was finally getting their breathing back to normal with Groot's help. Rocket was watching Groot, thinking.

They had known each other for a few years now. After a stretch of months, they became friends, and a year after that, they became something else. Since Groot didn't have a gender, Rocket would call her his partner instead of his boyfriend/girlfriend. This tended to cause some confusion, but they were usually more than happy to leave their bond unspoken. Having ties as a well known outlaw was dangerous, and considering how... unique they both were, it wasn't guaranteed that their relationship would be approved by the people who didn't turn them in.

Rocket was mulling over something that had been in his head for a month. The ship's most recent bump had convinced him to actually _do_ it, but the bigger question was how?

Talking to her would probably be a good place to start.

Groot gave Yamm a quick smile and a nod before she started walking toward Rocket. She smiled at him, and he smirked back before another shake startled her smile away. He kept his eyes on his feet once she got closer.

"So..." He didn't look at her, "today probably could've gone better, eh?"

"I am Groot." She leaned against the wall next to Rocket. Another jolt, worse than the previous one rocked the ship.

"Y'know, not to be a downer or anything, but we might not make it outta this." He looked up at her.

"Mm." She was looking straight ahead, her jaw tight.

"I was personally hoping to do a few things before dying." She was still looking forward, so he continued. "Just simple stuff y'know? Visit Xandar _without_ getting arrested, get a million units all at once, punch a guy hard enough to loose some teeth," He lowered his voice, "maybe get married..."

She looked over at him. Their eyes met before he looked down at his hands.

"I am Groot?"

"Well yeah, I always wanted to eventually." Another shake. "Maybe uh... maybe I don't have to wait?" He reached in his pocket and presented a simple metal band with swirling etchings to her.

"I-I mean, you don't gotta if you don't want to... but, well, we've been together for a while and-" Another rock, "-and I don't know how much more time we're gonna get." His grip on the ring tightens, but he doesn't lower it.

"I am... Groot?"

"Like I said, you don't have to say 'yes', but-" Shake. "-well, I was planning to do this later down the line, but I'm not even sure we're gonna make it outta this quadrant alive. So uh... well-" Another shake, this one brought him to his knees. He cursed under his breath before he looked up at her.

"Groot, will you marry me?"

She hesitates for a moment, and for that moment, Rocket managed to forget that anyone else on the ship existed.

"I-" a jolt, the worst one yet.

"I am Groot!" Even tho she looks scared, she's smiling.

Rocket jumps to his feet. "Y-You mean it?!"

"I... am Groot!" Her voice is full of nerves. Even she doesn't know if she's more excited or scared.

"This is- this is great!!! Oh man, Groot I-" 

Another roll of the ship knocked him into her legs. "C'mon, let's hurry. We got a priest and some witnesses to gather."

"I am Groot." She nods quickly and they split up.

\-----

It didn't take a lot to talk Herec into officiating the marriage. He said his memory of the official script was a bit rusty, but he could give a quick version no problem. Groot gathered Yamm, Aza, and Greda together with her toward the front of the cabin, while Herec and Rocket quickly put together a makeshift pulpit and a couple boxes for him to stand on.

There was an air of nervous excitement, about a lot of things. 

After about 5 minutes and 15 noticable bumps, everything was ready. Yamm, Aza, and Greda were huddled together a few feet in front of the pulpit, with Groot and Rocket standing closer to it. Herec stood behind it, looking almost natural there.

With the boxes, Rocket came up to about Groot's chest. She took his hands in hers, partially to make sure he wouldn't fall off. They looked each other in the eye for a moment before Herec cleared his throat and began.

"Dearest friends and accomplices, we are gathered here today to witness the union between one Rocket Raccoon and one Groot, Monarch of Planet X. The engaged have prepared their own vows, tho I'd like to remind them we are on a bit of of a time crunch, here."

Rocket shot a glare at Herec before looking back at Groot.

"Groot, I'm not the best at uh... expressin' myself, so I don't really have anything fancy or romantic to say, but uh... well, I love you. I uh, I really do. And I don't think I've ever loved anyone or anything as much as I love you... yeah..." He looked down at their hands, squeezing hers just a bit tighter. Herec then nodded at Groot.

"I am... Groot." She could always say so much with so few words.

"Do you have rings?" He looked genuinely curious.

Rocket pulled out the ring from his pocket and gently slid it onto her finger. He didn't have one for himself, he told her this just before, so instead she grew a tight ring of wood and vines around his finger. She never ceased to amaze him.

"Well then! With that, by the power vested in me by the Council of Intergalactic Ministers, I now pronounce you two married! You may-"

_CRASH!_

The ship's intercom crackled loudly. Rocket didn't know this ship even had one of those. Sayvir's voice came on.

"Everyone hang on to something! I'm going to jump it in 10!"

"You may now do whatever you want!" Herec runs from behind the pulpit to the nearest wall, grabbing a pipe that was sticking out of the wall.

"9!"

Yamm runs to Herec's side, holding him tightly. He doesn't seem to mind

"8!"

Aza and Greda move as quickly as they can to another wall, holding each other and whatever holds in the wall they can find.

"7!"

Groot picks Rocket up from the boxes he's on and runs to a free spot along the wall. She grows a few vines to gain some extra hold.

"6!"

Rocket looks into her eyes, and he sees how scared she is. They're both scared.

"5!"

She wraps her arms around him and he wraps his around her neck. They hold each other as tight as they feel they can.

"4!"

The hug is cut short as Rocket pushes away. He wants to look into her eyes again.

"3!"

They lock eyes once again. They don't look any less scared, but Groot can see something new in Rocket's eyes. She always knew it was there, but now she can finally see it.

"2!"

The kiss is clumsy, their faces crashing into each other fast, and the inclusion of a snout makes things difficult, but it's enough. It's more than enough.

"1!"

Just before the warp jumps, they lock eyes one more time. There's so much they want to say, to share, but there just isn't the time. In that moment, they hope that the other understands what they are trying to tell them, and for the most part, they do.

_"Now!"_

\-----

It's quiet for a solid minute. Everyone is holding their breath, not sure if the silence means freedom or doom. Rocket is the first to open his eyes. He sees Groot, and she's not hurt. He cranes his neck and sees that everyone else looks unharmed. Groot opens her eyes next, then Yamm, then Herec. Once Aza and Greda start looking around, everyone else has started to stand and look around.

The door to the cockpit slides open, and Sayvir steps out, looking proud of xyrself.

"You can thank me now."

A loud cheer echos thru the ship, Yamm and the others rush to embrace Sayvir and praise xem, leaving Groot and Rocket by themselves.

Rocket is still in Groot's arms. He normally hates when she holds him in public, but neither one was in a rush to let go. Groot is smiling, and Rocket smiles back before he starts to laugh. She starts to laugh with him until she sees he's started crying.

"I-I am Groot?"

"No, I'm not sad, you big lug. I've never been happier in my life!" He puts his arms back around her neck and holds on tight. She understands.

\-----

A couple parsecs later, the group reaches a safe place to part ways, a port known to not turn in escaped prisoners. They shook hands or the equivalent, while Groot gave a couple hugs. Before they took off, Herec pulled Rocket and Groot aside.

"Listen, things got pretty rocky back there, and I know that sometimes when things are looking grim, people will do, uh, impulsive things." He looks at the both of them. "Now I'm not saying you have to or anything, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to annul this. Even when people love each other for a long time, sometimes marriage can happen too soon."

Rocket and Groot exchange looks before Rocket speaks.

"What are you saying, Herec?"

"I'm just giving you both a chance to change your minds. Like I said, even when people love each other, sometimes marriage just isn't the answer. Are you two absolutely sure you want to stay married? If you decide to annul later it'll be much more of a hassle."

Groot squats down and looks Herec in the eye.

"I am Groot."

"Yeah," Rocket says from on top of Groot's shoulder, "thanks but no thanks, Herec. We'll get along just fine."

"Alright then. Best of luck to you both." With a wave, he leaves them on their own.

Once he's gone, Rocket announces, to Groot and anyone else who's listening, that they don't need luck, they've got each other.

Groot laughs, and they both head off in search of a ship.


End file.
